Rupturable container



Aug' 20, 1968 D. v. HANLON ETAL 3,397,834

RUPTURABLE CONTAINER Filed MaIGh l, 1967 ATTO R N EYS United States Patent O 3,397,834 RUPTURABLE CONTAINER Donald V. Hanlon, Creve Coeur, and Harold E. Beasley, Crestwood, Mo., assignors to Container Corporation of America, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Delaware Filed Mar. 1, 1967, Ser. No. 619,838 7 Claims. (Cl. 229-51) ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE A rupturable cylindrical container formed of a singleply, helically wound body formed from a ribbon of paperboard and having a helical lap seam; inner and outer liners bonded to said body; said body having a helical line of weakness out of registry with the lap seam and having sutiicient strength at said line of weakness to resist rupture along said line when the container is subjected to pressures incurred in normal handling and having sufficient weakness -at said line to permit rupture along said line when the container is subjected to unusual pressures incurred in opening so that the container can be completely opened along said line of weakness by twisting the ends of the container in opposite directions to unwrap the container from the contents.

This invention relates to helically wound, paperboard containers of the type employed for the packaging of biscuit dough or similar products, which are readily rupturable in opening to facilitate access to the contents.

It is an object of this invention to, provide in a container of this type, a simple, economical construction which requires :only a single-ply main layer or body having ya helically extending line of weakness extending lengthwise thereof which will resist fracture when the container is subjected to normal use, but which will fracture when subjected to extra pressure for opening the container.

A more specific object of the invention is the provision, in a container of the type described, of a single-ply body having a line of weakness, formed by one or more cuts, and spaced from the joint where the ends of the body are secured to each other.

These and other objects will be apparent from an examination of the following description and drawing, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a container embodying features of the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a transverse section taken on line 2-2 of FIGURE 1;`

F-IGURES 3 and 4 are partial sections taken on lines 3-3 and 4-4 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 5 is a view simil-ar to FIGURE l, but with the container shown in a partially opened position;

FIGURE 6 is a view similar to FIGURES 1 and 5 but with portions of the structure shown broken away; and

FIGURE 7 is a view similar to FIGURE 3 but illustrating a modified form of the invention.

It will be understood that, for purposes of clarity, certain elements have been intentionally omitted from certain views where they are believed to be illustrated to better advantage in other views.

Referring now to the drawings for a better understanding of the invention, and particularly to FIGURES 1 and 2, it will be seen that the container embodying features of the invention includes a generally cylindrical, spirally or helically wound tube structure formed of paperboard and having metal ends.

As best seen in FIGURE 2 the tube or body portion of the container includes a relatively thin, helically wound 3,397,834 Patented Aug. 20, 1968 ice inner liner 10 which may be formed of coated paperboard, foil or some other material and which has its marginal side edges 12 overlapped. 'Ihe tube construction also includes a relatively thin outer liner or label 14 which is also helically wound with its marginal side edges 16 overlapped. If desired the ends of either or both the inner and outer liners may be butted, rather than lapped as illustrated.

The main body 20 of the tubular structure preferably comprises a single ply of paperboard which is helically `wound land which has its marginal side edges 22 tapered or skived and overlapped to provide a lapped joint 24 of substantially the same thickness as the thickness throughout the body ply 20. Preferably the lapped joint or seam 24 of the body ply is offset from the joints or seams of the inner and outer liners.

As best seen in FIGURES 1 and 3, the body ply 20 of the container is provided with a helically line of Weakness 30 comprising a plurality of longitudinally spaced cuts 32 extending through the body ply which line of weakness extends around substantially the entire circumference of the lbody and which is olset from or out of registry from but generally parallel to the seam 24 of the container body ply. The purpose of the line of Weakness 30 is to permit the body of the can along with the inner and outer liners to be ruptured so as to expose the contents of the `can to permit access to the contents. This type of container is especially desirable for use in packaging articles such as biscuit dough which have a tendency to expand when exposed to air.

In order to open this type of container the container is merely wrapped or struck lat some point preferably in the center of the can along the line of weakness 30 and then the can ends are twisted in opposite directions this permits the can body along with the inner and outer lines to rupture and expose the contents.

If it is desired an additional line of weakness 34 which is relatively short and which intersects the main line of weakness 30 maybe provided. Line of weakness 34 may also be provided in the form of a plurality of spaced cuts 36. The addition of the extra line of Weakness makes it easier to open the container and the inner section of the lines of weakness may be indicated in the outer wrapper -or label of the container and combined with directions indicating that the person should press here to open the container thus a pressure by the thumb ofthe person opening the container will be suicient to start the fracture which can be completed by twisting the ends of the can in opposite directions.

Turning now to FIGURE 7 it will be seen that a slightly modified form of the invention is shown. In the structure illustrated in FIGURE 7 the primary line of weakness 30a is formed by a continuous cut which extends only partially through the body ply of the container. This is distinguished from the line of weakness of the previously described embodiment which is formed from a plurality of spaced cuts which extend entirely through the body ply of the container.

The embodiment illustrated in FIGURE 7 may also be provided with a transverse cut formed in the same manner if desired, and the remainder of the container is formed in exactly the same manner as that in the previously described embodiment. Likewise the container is opened in the same manner as previously described.

We claim:

1. A package including a filled, cylindrical container which is rupturable to facilitate removal of the contents thereof, said container comprising:

(a) a generally cylindrical, single ply, helically wound body formed from a ribbon of paperboard and having a helical lap seam;

(b) an inner liner having a thickness less than the thickness of said body bonded to the inside surface of said body;

(c) an outer label bonded to the outside surface of said body;

(d) a pair of closures secured to opposite ends of said body;

(e) said body having a helical line of weakness, eX-

tending around substantially the entire circumference spaced from the immediate vicinity of but extending generally parallel to said lap seam;

(f) said body having suicient strength at said line of weakness to resist rupture along said line when the container is subjected to pressures incurred in normal handling and having su'icient Weakness at said line to permit rupture along said line when the container is subjected to unusual pressures incurred in opening so that the container can be completely opened along said line of weakness by twisting the ends ofthe container in opposite directions to unwrap the container from the contents.

2. A package according to claim 1, wherein said outer label includes indicia indicating the area of weakness of the container body.

3. A package according to claim 1, wherein said line of weakness is formed by an uninterrupted cut which does not extend completely through the container body.

4. A package according to claim 1, wherein said line of weakness is formed by a series of aligned, spaced cuts each of which extends completely through the container body.

5. A package according to claim 1, wherein said container body includes:

(a) a second line of weakness disposed to intersect said first mentioned line of weakness;

(b) indicia on the outer label indicating the area of said intersection of said lines of weakness.

V6. A package according to claim 1, wherein the lap seam of said can body comprises a skived joint formed by lapping tapered side edges of the ribbon and adhesively bonding them together to provide a substantially uniform thickness for the body.

7. A package including a filled, cylindrical-container which is rupturable to facilitate removal of the contents thereof, said container comprising:

(a) a generally cylindrical, helically Wound body formed from a ribbon of paperboard and having a helical lap seam; Y

(b) an inner liner bonded to the inside surface of said body;

(c) an outer label bonded to the outside surface of said body;

(d) a pair of closures secured to opposite ends of said body;

(e) said body having a helical line of weakness, ex-V tending around substantially the entire circumference thereof out of registry with but generally parallel to said lap seam;

(f) said body having suicient strength at said line of weakness to resist rupture along said line when the container is subjected to pressures incurred in normal handling and having suicient weakness at said line to permit rupture along said line when the container is subjected to unusual pressures incurred in opening so that the container can be completely opened along said line of weakness by twisting the ends of the container in opposite directions to unwrap the container from the contents;

(g) said body including:

(i) a second line of weakness disposed to intersect said first mentioned line of weakness;

(ii) indicia on the outer label indicating the area of said intersection of said lines of weakness.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,800,267 7/ 1957 ONeil 229-51 2,901,162 8/1959 Vallas 229-51 3,051,370 8/1962 Hanlon 229-51 3,280,709 10/1966 Elam 229-45 X DONALD F. NORTON, Primary Examiner. 

